Social Development In Teenagers What’s happening?

What Is Social Development? As children become teenagers they begin to undergo many changes. Changes to their image, how they present themselves, their friendship groups, relationship to parents and more. Teenagers experiment with their identity

Childhood to Adolescence to Adulthood Teenagers are in a transitional period in their life where they are trying to learn the skills to lead a productive adult life while still holding onto the childish ways of their youth Teenagers can come into problems with this conflict which include peer pressure , self esteem, drugs and alcohol, and conflicting with loved ones

Erik Erikson Describes the childhood stage as a time where children gain confidence and self esteem and want to learn as much as they can and please and do right by their teachers, parents etc As children move into adolescents they develop his or her own identity, while negotiating and struggling with social interactions and “fitting in”, and developing a sense of morality and right from wrong. Erikson describes the adolescent stage as a time where the teenager goes through what he refers to as the identity crisis this identity crisis stems from the reconciliation of what the person has come to be and what society expects them to be(Harder, 2002)

The Teenager As the teenager comes into this stage there is much more self awareness then ever before The teen focuses more so then ever before on themselves, how they look and act, as well as heavily focusing on how other perceive them and judge them As well as this self focus , teen’s develop abstract thinking skills and visualise future possibilities in a way previously unable too This new awareness leads to critical awareness as teenagers accept and reject behaviours and qualities while trying to define themselves

Acceptance and the Opposite As teens become aware of others opinions and self aware themselves they crave acceptance from peers Erikson describes teenagers most significant relationships as being with these peer groups If they do not receive acceptance it can be very damaging to their self esteem

Self Esteem Self esteem is very important to all people and a lack of self esteem can be damaging, leading to depression and in extreme cases suicide The development of a positive self image and a healthy self esteem is very important in transitioning from child to adult It important to maintain healthy relationships with peers and families to increase and maintain self esteem Teens self esteem can be easily affected from many of the changes they begin to experience

Parents, Teenagers, and Self Esteem Parents can play an important part in raising their children’s self esteem Parents can assist by: Giving your child words of encouragement each day. Being generous with praise. Giving constructive criticism, and avoid criticism that takes the form of ridicule or shame. Teaching your child about decision-making and make it a point to recognize when he or she has made a good decision. Helping your child learn to focus on his or her strengths by pointing out all of his or her talents and abilities. Allowing your teen to make mistakes. Overprotection or making decisions for teens can be perceived as a lack of faith in their abilities. This can make them feel less confident. When disciplining your child, replace shame and punishment with positive reinforcement for good behaviour. Shame and punishment can make an adolescent feel worthless and inadequate.

Peers, Groups, and Pressures Peers groups offer teenagers the opportunity to develop many social skills Peer groups can have both positive and negative influences on the individual Peer pressures can be harmful to teenagers as drug and alcohol experimentation become more common Peer pressures peak at age 14, and decline therefore after

Parents and Peer Pressure As children grow and spend more time with their peers they become more influenced by their peers Parents can minimize the harm of negative peer pressures by: Developing a close relationship with your child, and encourage open and honest communication Helping your child understand what peer pressure is Reinforce the values that are important to you and your family Nurture your teen's own abilities and self-esteem so that he or she is not as susceptible to the influences of others Give your teen breathing room. Don't expect him or her to do exactly as you say all of the time Try to avoid telling your child what to do; instead, listen closely and you may discover more about the issues influencing your child's behaviour Provide discipline (Emmick,2009)

General Things You Might Notice In Your Teenager Parents/caregivers may notice that teens will want to spend a lot more time with their peers rather than their family Teens may start to express their identities through their hair, make up, style, music they listen to, friends and hobbies Teens testing their independence levels Moodiness A much higher care for other’s opinions about themselves (American Medical Association,2001)

What to do? When differences arise listen to your child and try and understand their point of view Give guidance and set clear boundaries If your teen is having trouble or seems unhappy, talk to them and find out what is going on Choose your battles, such as grades and drugs but arguing over hairstyles can become pointless Give teens the chance to make more decisions and take more responsibilities as they prove themselves(American Medical Association,2001)